This star-studded HBO drama won a big eight Emmy Awards, so it’s little surprise a second season is on its way in 2019, even if it was originally meant to be a one-off mini-series. The headline news is that Meryl Streep will be joining Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon et al but just as significant could be the arrival of director Andrea Arnold, whose films American Honey and Wuthering Heights made distinctive use not only of humans but also geography – meaning the series’ other key cast member, the Californian coast, will retain its leading role.

The book on which Big Little Lies is based was set in a fictional Australian town, but the show was shifted to Monterey by showrunner David E Kelley. Previously best known as the setting for John Steinbeck’s epic novels, the area’s combination of laidback smalltown charm and spectacular Pacific seascapes made a big impression. Kelley calls it 'a hypnotic beauty', saying 'We were looking to draw the audience in and have them say, "I want to go there on vacation."' In which case, job done.

In fact, many interior locations (and a few exteriors, including the all-important school and yoga centre) are in Los Angeles but fans will be pleased to know the production has already returned to Monterey and Carmel for Season 2. One major venue they’ve returned to is Lovers Point (pictured above), strictly speaking in Pacific Grove, next door to Monterey proper. Both the four-acre park and the beach here have been well used by BLL, the first as the venue for dramatic moments including the showdown between Jane (Shailene Woodley) and Celeste (Nicole Kidman) over the true identity of the school bully.

It’s just one of several beaches used, though. As a rule, if a character’s jogging (especially Jane) it’s probably on Del Monte Beach, a long flat shoreline that curves round the bottom end of Monterey Bay. If it’s waves crashing metaphorically on sharp rocks as someone’s looking sternly to the horizon, it’s likely to be the rugged coastline of Garraptata State Park (pictured above), round the peninsula to the south, beyond Carmel. Another notable venue, used for scenes of Jane’s running, is the nearby Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, where the wild cliffs give onto hidden bays reminiscent of the Greek islands.

As anyone who’s driven Highway 1 will know, much of this is Big Sur rather than Monterey, as is another of the show’s landmarks, the Bixby Creek Bridge (pictured above). A monumental feat of engineering that spans a seaside inlet, it appears in the opening credits and in many of the lead characters’ drives home, though it’s actually some way away from habitation. In reality, Celeste’s house, with its glass walls and Lana Del Rey summer-sadness vibe, is a private home in the millionaires' playground of Carmel Highlands; the even grander hilltop castle inhabited by Renata (Laura Dern) is in Malibu, as is Madeline’s (Witherspoon) beachside villa, while Jane’s bungalow is in Pasadena.

Moving into the town of Monterey itself, the Blue Blues café/bar where the ladies meet is among the unmistakable pastel shops and restaurants of Fisherman’s Wharf (pictured), delivered via a bit of digital trickery. Offscreen, it’s a restaurant called Paluca Trattoria, popular with locals though the BLL crew are said to favour the upscale Rio Grill in Carmel.

One of the few indoor locations used is the Monterey Bay Aquarium (pictured), which made a big impression in the original trailer and reoccurred throughout the season. Famed for its jellyfish and at one point for exhibiting great white sharks, it’s very close to Lovers Point, the two connected by another much-used location, Oceanview Boulevard. This long seaside vista, first seen in Episode 1 when Celeste almost crashes into her daughter’s car, is perfect for Big Little Lies, providing a superb natural backdrop of sea and sky for the equally intense personal interaction. Expect to see more of it in 2019.